2012 Black Sl550 Sport, One Owner, Panorama Roof, Parktronic! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes, Renault-Nissan to work together on truck project

Just a few weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz barged into the automotive world with news of a pickup as a mysterious but enticing future model from the German brand. Rumors of a possible collaboration with Nissan followed, but Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn refused to give any clear details. That speculation is now over, because the automakers made their truck partnership official. This new information reveals that the Mercedes truck won't be a full in-house creation from Daimler. For example, the pickup will share some of its underpinnings with the latest Nissan NP300 Navara. The German company's engineers, however, will work to change the design to their liking. Also, as in the rendering, Mercedes will use a double-cab body for the model. "Thanks to our well-established partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, we are able to drastically reduce the time and cost to enter this key segment." Daimler Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche said in the company's release. Nissan will play a further major role in the project by helping Renault develop a pickup based on the Navara as well. By 2020, all three trucks will be built together in Cordoba, Argentina, for Latin American markets and in Barcelona, Spain, for other parts of the world. Mercedes will target both regular customers and commercial buyers with its truck. While still not officially slated for North America, there's a chance that the Mercedes truck might be sold here. The US arm of the company reportedly has until the end of the year to decide to offer it with some added luxury-oriented upgrades compared to the rest of the world. Daimler & Renault-Nissan Alliance expand cooperation to 1-ton pickup trucks April 07, 2015 Daimler & Renault-Nissan Alliance expand cooperation to 1-ton pickup trucks Nissan and Daimler to jointly develop midsize pickup truck Mercedes-Benz pickup to share some of the architecture with the all-new Nissan NP300 Mercedes-Benz vehicle to be engineered and designed by Daimler to meet specific needs of its customers Mercedes-Benz pickup will target Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America Pickup trucks to be built in Barcelona, Spain, and Cordoba, Argentina Latest milestone in the five-year strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance STUTTGART/PARIS/YOKOHAMA –The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG will expand their five-year strategic cooperation into the pickup truck segment.

Genesis G70 vs sport sedan rivals: How it compares on paper

We got our first look at the Genesis G70 sport sedan today. We think it looks good, with enough ties to its fellow Genesises (Geneses?) to further establish the brand and just enough distinction to help it stand out from the crowd. But ah yes, the crowd. Although Genesis didn't release the G70's full spec sheet, it revealed just enough for us to start sizing it up to its future competition. There are certainly others with which to compare (Lexus IS, Cadillac ATS, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Jaguar XE just to name a few), but we decided to take a look at the best sellers and most competitive luxury sport sedans. (And hey, if you like this, we can always do a follow up) So, here we have the Genesis G70 vs BMW 3 Series vs Audi A4 / S4 vs Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs Infiniti Q50. Nothing like a good chart to dig your teeth into on a Friday. Note that we only compared those models that line up with the G70. So, we left out the BMW 320i and Audi A4 Ultra entry level models as well as the Q50 3.0t mid-grade model that's considerably cheaper than the German performance upgrade models we listed. All 0-60 figures are rough estimates based on several sources, models/drivetrains and OEM figures. Related Video: Featured Gallery Genesis G70 vs other sport sedans View 15 Photos Audi BMW Genesis Infiniti Mercedes-Benz Luxury Sedan consumer infiniti q50 audi s4 genesis g70 mercedes-benz c-class bmw 330i bmw 340i

Weekly Recap: Toyota propels hydrogen fuel cells

Toyota is serious about hydrogen fuel cells, and it wants the auto industry to follow suit. The Japanese automaker said this week it's releasing 5,680 fuel cell patents from around the world, including technologies used on its upcoming sedan, the 2016 Mirai. The move is unusual, but not unprecedented, as Tesla similarly released its electric vehicle patents last year. The idea for Tesla, and now for Toyota, is to spur development of alternative propulsion. "By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility more quickly, effectively and economically," said Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales senior vice president of automotive operations, in a statement. Toyota's fuel cell patents will be free to use through 2020, though patents related to producing and selling hydrogen will remain open forever. Toyota said it would like companies that use its patents to share their own hydrogen patents, but won't require it. "What Toyota's doing is really a logical move, and really a good move for the industry," Devin Lindsay, principal powertrain analyst with IHS Automotive, told Autoblog. The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It comes as Toyota prepares to launch the hydrogen-powered Mirai in a limited number late this year in California. The launch will be extended to the Northeastern United States next year. Toyota also has announced plans to support networks of fueling stations in each region to try to smooth consumer adoption. The Mirai has a 300-mile range on a tank of hydrogen, and it takes about five minutes to refill. Fuel cells have been receiving increased attention recently, and Audi and Volkswagen debuted hydrogen-powered cars at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Honda, another proponent of the technology, also showed its updated FCV concept in November in Japan. The company, however, has delayed its fuel cell sedan a year until 2016. Like Toyota, Honda says its hydrogen-powered car will have a range of 300 miles or more. Meanwhile, Hyundai currently offers leases for fuel-cell powered Tucsons, which have a 265-mile range, in Southern California. Despite the optimism some automakers have for fuel cells, the technology still faces barriers. A lack of filling stations has long held it back, and many consumers are not familiar with the potential benefits.